Chelsea will reportedly face a decision in January as Leeds United are said to be considering a loan offer for youngster Reece James.
The 19-year-old has been restricted to just four games so far this season at both youth and senior level as he continued his recovery from an ankle injury.
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After a successful loan spell last season, the expectation is that James will challenge for a starting spot in the Chelsea XI under Frank Lampard this year, particularly given the current Blues boss has shown elsewhere in the side that he is willing to give his young stars a chance.
However, with game time limited thus far, it could be a sensible move to send James out on loan to gain playing time and to rediscover his fitness and form.
According to The Sun, Leeds could give Chelsea that option with a January move as they look to bolster their squad for the second half of the campaign as they continue to chase promotion from the Championship.
In turn, it would certainly be a sensible move as far as Marcelo Bielsa is concerned, but time will tell if Chelsea believe that it will be more beneficial to their young star’s progress if he did go elsewhere rather than risk sitting on the bench and play a limited role in the coming months.
That said, he has already had the experience at Championship level with Wigan last season, so it’s questionable as to whether it would be a smart idea for Chelsea as they would surely much prefer to see him test himself at a higher level in the Premier League if he did move elsewhere on temporary basis.
Firstly though, it will surely be down to Lampard to decide whether it’s James or Cesar Azpilicueta who gets the nod at right back before they decide on any exits.
